Underground-conduit system for electric railways.



PATENTED NOV. 24, 190B.

A. H. ANGLE. UNDERGROUND GONDUIT. SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

I APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 1902.

.NO MODEL.

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UNITED STATES IlPatented November 24,

ATJENT tribe.

ANDREW H. ANGLE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 745,033, dated November 24, 1903.

Application filed July 3, 1902. Serial No. 114,176. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Beitknown thatI,ANDREwH.ANGLn,acitizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Underground-Conduit Systems for Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of an improvement in an underground-conduit system for electric railways, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Figure 1 represents a top plan of a section of an electric-railway system embodying my invention. gitudinal section thereof, taken on the line 0000 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a similar view with the contact-rail depressed. Fig.4 represents a vertical transverse section taken on the line y y of Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates cross ties of ordinary construction, upon which the rail and conduit-sections are mounted, and B designates as a whole one of the conduit-sections. These conduit-sections are about half the length of the car employed on the road, and for switches, curves, and crossings shorter conduit-sections are employed. The top of the conduit is a little higher than the treads of the track-rails, so that the colleotor carried by the car can pass over the same at switches and crossings. As shown, the ends of the conduit-sections B are insulated from each other by insulating portions 0. Each conduit-section consists of a bottom or base D, the side pieces E, end pieces F, and the top G, the latter being provided with a longitudinal slot H, in which the sectional contact-rail J is situated, it being noted that the upper side portions of said contactrail J and the corresponding faces of the slot H taper upwardly, so as to limit the upward movement of said rail J. The said sections J of the contact-rail are supported by suitable cushions, conveniently consisting of springs K, retained at their upper ends by pins M at the ends of the rails and resting at their lower ends upon the bottom plate N of a yoke or bracket N, secured to the top pieces G of the conduit, said bracket N serv- Fig. 2 represents a vertical lon ing also to aid in securing the sections of the top piece in their proper position. These springs normally hold the upper face of the rail J flush with the top pieces G of the con duit, but allow the same to be depressed by the current-collector P. (Shown in Fig. 3.) To retain the rail-sections J, I employ connectingpieces Q, (Shown in Fig. 2,) which are fastened at their outer ends to plates R,

conveniently secured to the top pieces G and -secured at their inner ends to yokes or bails S, fastened to the central portions of said railsections J, it being noted that the central portions of said rail-sections are wider than the end portions to afford sufficient strength. The connecting-pieces or tie-rods Q are furthermore provided with turubuckles T to regulate the tension. Thus it will be seen that when the contact-rail J is depressed by the current-collector it will be supported by the cushions, but retained in the correct position by said tie-rods or connection-pieces Q.

The main conductor is indicated by U and is insulated, whereby the current necessary to supply the desired power need not be as great as when using an uninsulated conductor, and these conductors pass through openings V in the end pieces F of the conduit-sections and are supported thereby. Within each conduit-section B and near the ends thereof said conduits are provided with contacts W, the same having their upper ends conveniently tapered and mounted upon an uninsulated portion of the conductor, while their lower ends may be provided with reduced portions-or pins X to hold the springs Y, which bear upon the bottom of the conduit, this construction being employed so 'that if the contacts Z, carried by the contactrail sections J, should be depressed to an undue extent the said main conductor U and the contacts W carried thereby, being suitablycushioned, will prevent breakage of the parts. The said contacts carried by the contact-rail sections J are conveniently forked or bifurcated to receive the tapered upper ends of the contacts W, so as to insure a good contact between said parts.

The collector P carried by the car is provided with two collecting-wheels A, so that the forward wheel contacts with a forward rail before the other wheel leaves the rear rail. The collector P is movable upon the car in a familiar manner, so that the wheels thereof may always follow the path of the slot H, when passing around curves, &c., to insure the supply of the electric current. As this does not form part of myinvention and the mechanism is old and well known, I have not illustrated the same, except to show the pivot B, forming a swivel for the frame carrying the wheels A.

The operation is as follows: The parts are normally in the position shown in Fig. 2, wherein the contact-rail sections J are elevated and the contacts Z and W are separated. When the forward collector-wheel reaches the end of the contact-rail, it depresses the same to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and at first brings together the contacts Z and W at the end of the rail acted upon by the collector, and thus energizes this section of the contact-rail. As the collector reaches the central portion of the rail it will be noted that the entire rail will be depressed and throw the contacts at both ends thereof into contact with each other, as shown in Fig. 3, it being noted that the tie-rods Q hold the contact-rail sections in place. As the collector leaves the other end of the rail the reverse operation takes place, and the springs K elevate the rail-sections J to their normal position, and thus separate the contacts Z and W and breaking the circuit.

It is understood, of course, the bottom of the conduit-sections conveniently slope toward their central portions, Whereat they are provided with an opening 0 for the escape of water or moisture.

It is understood, of course, that the top pieces G, which are held together by the brackets N, and the plates R are secured to the side pieces E of the conduit-section in any suitable manner and that in case of repairs to the conduit may be removed, together with the rail-sections J and the contacts Z, without disturbing any other portion of the conduit or railway system. Furthermore, it is seen that by making the central portion of the contact-rail section widest I form a truss to strengthen the same.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An electric-railway system, comprising a plurality of conduit-sections insulated from each other at their ends, each of which is provided with a movable-contact railway-section exposed at and normally flush with the upper side of the conduit, and a conductor passing through said conduit and adapted to be electrically connected with said contact-rail sections when the latter are depressed.

2. In an electric railway, a plurality of conduit-sections insulated from each other at their ends, a conductor insulated throughout passing therethrough and having portions of the insulation broken away to form contactpoints, and a movable contact-rail section exposed at and normally flush with the top of the conduit and adapted to be electrically connected with said contact-points of the conductor when depressed.

3. An electric-railway system, comprising a plurality of insulated conduit-sections insulated from each other at their ends, each of which is provided with a movable contact-rail exposed at and normally flush with the top thereof, said contact-rails having depending contacts, and an insulated conductor passing through said conduit and having contactpoints adapted to be electrically connected with said contact-points of the rail-section when the latter is depressed.

4. In an electric railway, a conduit, a conductor insulated throughout situated within said conduit and having portions of the insulation broken away, cushioned contact-points secured to the portions of the conductor from which the insulation is broken away, and a movable rail-section being exposed at and normally flush with the top of the conduit adapted to be electrically connected with said cushioned contact-points of the conductor when depressed.

5. In an electric-railway system, a conduit having a movable contact-rail situated within a longitudinal slot at its top, the upper side of said contact-rail being normally flush with the upper side of the conduit, a cushion for said contact-rail, connecting-pieces secured to said rail and to a stationary portion of the conduit to hold said rail in position, anda con ductor adapted to be electrically connected with said rail when the latter is depressed 6. In an electric-railway system, a conduit having a movable contact-rail situated within a slot at the top thereof, a cushion for said rail, longitudinal connecting-pieces secured at their inner ends to the central portion of the rails and at their outer ends to a stationary portion of the conduit, and a conductor adapted to be electrically connected with said contact-rail when the latter is depressed.

7. A conduit for an electric-railway system having a removable top piece, consisting of sections forming between the same a longitudinal slot, a movable contact-rail situated within said slot, longitudinal connectingpieces secured at their outer ends to said sections of the top piece of the conduit at the inner end to said contact-rail, and cushions for the outer end of said contact-rail carried by said top pieces of the conduit.

8. In an electric-railway system, a movable contact-rail held in proper position by stayrods, the outer ends of said stay-rods being secured to the under side of the movable top of conduit and the inner ends of the same being secured to the contact-rail near the central part of the latter.

9. In an electric-railway system,a movable contactrail and longitudinal connecting pieces secured at their inner ends to said rail and at their outer ends to a stationary portion of the conduit.

10. In an electric-railway system, a movable contact-rail, and longitudinal connecting-pieces secured at their inner ends to the central portion of the rail and at their outer ends to a stationary portion of the conduit.

11. In an electric-railway system, a movable contact-rail elastically supported, and longitudinal connections, independent of the means for elastically supporting said rail, between said rail and a stationary portion of the conduit.

12. In an electric-railway system, a movable contact-rail, means for supporting the same whereby it may be depressed, longitu- (linal connections between said rail and a stationary portion of the conduit, independent of said means, adapted to prevent longitudinal movement of said rail.

13. In an electric-railway system, a movable contact-railsuitablysupported, the central portion of said rail having a depending widened portion.

14. In an electric-railway system, a conduit-section having a removable top, a movable contact-rail, and means for supporting the same, includinglongitudinal connections between said rail and said top, said rail and means being carried by and removable with said top.

15. In an electric-railway system, a con- 16. In an electric-railway system, a conduit-section having a removable top, and a contact rail elastically supported by said top, said contact-rail being also connected with said top by longitudinal connections and removable therewith.

17. In an electric-railway system, a conduit-section havinga removable top consisting of spaced pieces suitably secured together, the space between said pieces forming a slot, a contact-rail situated within said slot, and a cushion carried by the means for securing said top pieces together and upon which said contact-rail is supported.

18. In an electric-railway system, a conduit-section having a removable top, a movable contact-rail secured thereto and removable therewith, and longitudinal connectingpieces between said contact-rail and said top piece.

ANDREW H. ANGLE.

Witnesses:

H. J. BRUGGEMANN, NORMAN B. MASON. 

